Filters



Oct. 10, 1961 K. E. BUCKMAN FILTERS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June l2, 1957 ttorney Oct. 10, 1961 l K, E, BUCKMAN 3,003,637

FILTERS Filed June l2. 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/GS. 9

F/G] 6 /Q [n ventor Oct. 10, 1961 Filed June 12, 1957 K. E. BUCKMAN 3,003,637

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l//llllllllll Inventor Y By l lom e y United States Patent O 3,003,637 FILTERS Kenneth Ernest Buekman, Redbridge, Southampton, England, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed .lune 12, 1957, Ser. No. 665,157 Claims priority, application Great Britain June 12, 1956 3 Claims. (Cl. 210-130) This invention relates to iilters for liquids and in particular to oil lilters for internal combustion engines.

In order to secure an oil lter to an internal combustion engine in communication with oil inlet and outlet connections thereon, it has been proposed to incorporate in the dter casing a iilter head adapted to be bolted to a mounting tace on the engine so that oil inlet and outlet passages in the lter head are in communication with corresponding inlet and outlet passages in the mounting face. It is usual to embody in the head a relief valve to permit direct flow between the oil inlet and outlet passages on the engine mounting face, bypassing the oil lter, when the fdter element becomes clogged with accumulated impurities.

IAccording to the present invention the construction of :an oil filter is simpliiied and its cost of manufacture re- -duced by dispensing with a head and mounting face of the kind referred to above; instead, a groove is machined in the engine mounting face so that the lter can be secured direct to the mounting face, preferably by a single :central bolt, with the end edge of the iilter casing seated jin the groove (a seal ring preferably being interposed) Aand with the inl-et and outlet passages in the lter in communication with corresponding passages in the mounting `face.

In order that the relief valve for the tilter can be positioned in such a way that it will not, when in operation, linvolve the entrainment of impurities in the direct flow of Aoil between the oil inlet md outlet, the relief valve is, :according to a particular feature ofthe invention, formed .as an assembly conveniently a casting, comprising a valve .chamber with a ball valve therein, which is adapted to be mounted adjacent the lter element and about the central boit by which the lilter element and casing are se- .cured on the engine mounting face.

According to a further feature of the invention, the valve is constructed so that it is a free t on the said bolt and, when the lter is mounted 1horizontally, automatically assumes a position in which the inlet to the valve will .be above the level at which impurities will accumulate in the filter casing.

According to another feature of the invention, the relief valve assembly is adapted to be located in a xed position on the engine mounting face. This may be achieved .by arranging the assembly so that it can be bolted to the mounting face, or secured thereto by means of interengageable spigot and socket formations on the mounting face and the valve housing.

The scope of the invention is defined by the appended ciaims; and how it can be performed is hereinafter par ticularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a sectional elevation of a lter according to one embodiment;

FIGURE 2 is a plan of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional elevation of an engine mounting tace for use with tbe filter shown in FIGURES l and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a modication of the relief valve shown in FIGURES l and 2;

FIGURE 5 is a modification of the engine mounting face shown in FIGURE 3, for use with the relief valve of FIGURE 4;

ICC

FIGURE 6 is a further modication of the relief valve shown in FIGURES l and 2;

FIGURE 7 is a further modification of the engine mounting face shown in FIGURE 3, for use with the relief valve of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a modiication of the lter shown in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 9 is a further modiied form of engine mounting face for use With the lter of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is an elevation of the relief valve shown in FIGURE 8;

` FIGURE l1 is a plan of FIGURE l0;

FIGURE 12 is a section on the line XII-XII of FIGURE 11;

FIGURE 13 is a section'on the line XIII-XIII of FIGURE ll; and

FIGURE 14 is a section on the line XIV-XIV of FIGURE 12.

In the different figures of the drawings parts which are substantially similar and are intended to carry out similar functions bear similar reference numerals.

In carrying the invention into eiect according to one embodiment thereof, shown in FIGURES l to 3 a iilter element 1 enclosed in a metal casing 2 is arranged to be secured to an engine mounting face 3 by means of a central bolt 4 which extends coaxially through the lter casing'Z and a central outlet passage 5 of the filter element 1 and when screwed into a tapped hole 6 in the mounting tace .3 draws the end edge 7 of the lter casing 2 into sealing engagement with an annular groove 8 machined in the mounting face 3, in which latter are also formed oil inlet and outlet passage 9, 10 in communication with the engine lubrication system. The oil inlet opening 9 is coaxial with the tapped hole 6. A hollow portion 11 of the mounting bolt 4 has openings 12 in the wall thereof in communication Vwith the central outlet passage 5 of the iilter element 1, to allow filtered oil to flow through the openings 12, the hollow portion 11 of the bolt and into the oil inlet passage 9.

The filter element 1 is mounted with its axis in a horizontal plane and a relief valve 14 to provide a by-pass dow of toil when the lter is clogged is made as a metal casting 15 within which is a substantially cylindrical valve chamber 16 embodying a valve seat 17 closa'ole by a ball 18 under the action of a spring 19. The-valve chamber 16 has an inlet openng'20 on one side of said valve seat I7 and an outlet opening 21 which communicates with a recess 22 at one end of the casting, one end of said recess 22 which extends at right angles opening into the outlet passage 5 of the lter element 1 and the other end opening into a co-axial bore 23 which extends at right angles to the axis of the valve chamber 16. This bore 23 is made of such dimensions that the relief valve 14 will t freely about the bolt 4 by which the lilter element 1 and casing 2 are secured to the engine mounting face 3. Thus, when the relief valve 14 is placed on the securing bolt 4 it can rotate freely thereon and its centre ofV gravity is so placed that the relief valve I4 Will assume a position in which the inlet 20 to the valve chamber 16 therein is above the horizontal plane which includes the anis of the bolt 4. In other words, the valve inlet and the center of gravity of the relief valve assembly are on opposite sides of a plane in which lies the axis of the bolt 4. A spring 24 bears at one end against the closed end 25 of the ilter casing 2 and at its other end against a sealing plate 26 which seals the other end of the lter element 1; and the bolt 4 extends through a central opening in the sealing plate 26, in which it is a close fit. When the bolt 4 is tightened up the spring 24 is compressed to force opposed faces 27, 28 on the relief valve 14 respectively into sealing contact with the engine mounting face 3 and with the oil outlet passage 5 at one 3 end of the filter. The headed end of the bolt -4 carries a collar 29 within which is a sealing ring 3G which seals the opening in the end wall of the casing Z through which the bolt d'passe's. i

A sealing gasket i3 is preferably interposed between the end edge 7 of the casing 2 and the annular groove 3.

When theA lterelement l becomes clogged the relief valve l@ comes into operation to provide direct ilow of oil between the inlet and outlet passage 9 and 1G in the mounting face 3 so as to bypass the lter. As the inlet 2li to the relief valve l@ lies above the central horizontal am's of the lter it will be above the level at which irnpurities removed from the oil will tend to accumulate within the filter casing 2.

ln a modified form of the arrangement described above, Ashown in FIGURES 4 and 5, the engine mounting face 3 is provided with tapped holes 3l adapted to receive screws (not shown) located in screw holes 32 in lugs 33 on the relief valve l, whereby the latter can be secured in the required position on the mounting face 3 so that the inlet Z-l of the relief valve i4 will, as before lie above the level at which impurities Aaccumulate in the filter casing Z.

ln a further modification of this arrangement, shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, the relief valve ld and the mounting face 3 are formed with co-operating spigot and socket formations 345, respectively, arranged so as to locate the relief valve 14 with the inlet thereto in die desired position above the level of impurities collected in the filter casing 2.

Where the ter is mounted fon the engine in a position such that it extends vertically above the mounting face 3, the impurities removed during filtration will settle under gravity at the base of the casing 2 adjacent the mounting face 3 and in this case, as shown in FIGURES 8 and 9, the relief valve assembly la is mounted on the bolt at the end thereof remote from the mounting face 3. ln this case the iilter element l abuts the engine mounting face 3 with the ii ter element outlet 5 in communication with an inlet passage 37 in the mounting face spaced from the tapped hole o which receives a central mounting bolt 3S which is not made hollow; a helical spring 39 mounted on the bolt 33 at the end remote from the mounting face 3 abats the end face 27 of the relief valve 14 to urge the opposite end face 23 thereof into sealing contact with the adjacent end of the central outlet passage of the filter element l.

lt is preferred in any Vof the forms of the invention described above to employ a valve assembly 14 in which Vthe interior of the valve chamber i6 is constructed so that when the valve ball i8 is unseated the iiow of oil through the valve chamber 16 diverts the ball into contact with the Wall at one side only of the chamber 16 and thereby reduces chatter caused by oscillation of the ball l between opposed walls of the valve chamber. Such an arrangement also effects a reduction in the resistance to iiow provided by the valve.

Y Accordingly, as best shown in FIGURES l to i4, the relief valve ld has a valve chamber 16 with a recess all which extends axially thereof and over a substantially V)6 segment of the substantially cylindrical wall of the chamber 16. rillus, when the valve ball l is forced olf its seat l? the liquid passing the valve will tend to flow towards the opening 2l by way of the recess Il@ only, and thus tend to force the ball 13 into contact With a substantially diametricaliy opposite portion of the cylindrical wall of the chamber lo.

The valves l@ shown in FIGURES' l0 to i4, FEGURE 6, and in FIGURES l and 2 are essentially of the same construction and differ in detail only, as will be readily understoodV from a consideration of the foregoing description thereof, and of the drawings.

I claim: y

l. A iilter unit comprising a casing with an open end, a bolt extending through said casing with a threaded end in said casing open end for attaching the unit to an engine block, an annular filter element and a relief valve assembly rotatably and slidably mounted Within said casing on said bolt, said casing and filter element dening a rst chamber between them for receiving contaminated iluid, said filter element and bolt defining an outlet chamer for clariiied duid, a spring encircling said bolt and positioned to urge said filter element and relief valve assembly toward said casing open end, said relief valve assembly having a pressure actuated one way valve and a bypass Vpassage with an inlet at one side only of said bolt andan outlet leading to said outlet chamber, and the said inlet and the center of gravity of said relief valve assembly being on opposite sides of a plane in which lies the axis of said bolt.

2. A lter unit comprising a cup-like casing with an open end, a bolt with a portion extending Within said open end and adapted to hold said unit with its open end in sealed relation with an engine block, said bolt portion having a discharge passage leading from said casing, a lter element within said casing and surrounding said bolt, a port in said bolt connecting the interior of said filter element with said discharge passage, a relief valve assembly rotatably arranged on said bolt and engaging one end of said filter element in sealed relation, a pressure-actuated relief valve, inlet and outlet ports in said assembly and controlled by said valve, said inlet port communieating with said casing outside said filter element, said outlet port communicatinfy with said bolt portion discharge passage, and the said inlet port and the center of gravity of said relief valve assembly being on opposite sides of a plane in which the asis of said bolt lies whereby the said inlet port will assume a position above an impurities settlement zone within said casing when said unit is mounted on said block with the said bolt inclined to the vertical.

3. A filter unit com rising a casing having a iluid inlet end and a fluid receiving chamber, a rlter element in said chamber, a bolt extending into said casing and adapted to support said inlet end on an engine, a disch rge passage in said bolt having one end near the plane of said fluid inlet end, said passage also communicating with the interior fof said filter element, a relief valve assembly surrounding said bolt and arranged freely rotatable with relation thereto by the action of gravity during mounting, a passage in said relief valt-'e assem ly having an inlet in communication with said huid receiving chamber outside said iilter element and an outlet `in communication with said discharge passage of said bolt, a pressure-actuated one-way valve controlling dow through said relief valve assembly passage to said discharae passage, and the said inlet and the center of gravity of said relief valve assembly being on opposite sides of a plane in which lies the axis of said bolt.

Vlleferenccs Cited in the Lile of this patent UNlTiD STAES PATENTS 1,854,971 Allen Apr. i9, 1932 2,446,612 Sauser et al Aug. l0, i943 2,453,465 Bolser Nov. 9, 1948 2,657,807 Launder -lov. 3, 1953 v2,743,918 Belgarde Apr. 24, 1956 2,792,l92 Wheeler May 14, i957 PGREIGN FATENTS Y1,045,335 France rune 24, i953 @lili c REFERENCES Fram Publication All. 945, copyright Oct. 2, i956. 

